Samwise Film & TV Marketing Newsletter
Wednesday, May 6, 2026
Disney’s ‘The Devil Wears Prada 2’ Opens to $77M Domestic, $233M Global in Landmark Debut
Disney’s long-awaited sequel The Devil Wears Prada 2 opened to a commanding $77 million domestically and $233.6 million worldwide over its debut weekend, landing the second-biggest global opening of 2026 behind The Super Mario Galaxy Movie’s $372.5 million start. The film, directed by David Frankel and reuniting Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci, marks the biggest opening of Streep’s career and the largest domestic debut for a traditional comedy in more than a decade. Disney reportedly spent $80 million on marketing, one of the studio’s largest campaigns in recent memory. The film earned a CinemaScore of A– with nearly 75 percent of opening-weekend audiences being women.
‘Michael’ Crosses $300M Worldwide to Become No. 2 Musical Biopic of All Time
The Michael Jackson biopic Michael, directed by Antoine Fuqua and distributed by Lionsgate, crossed $300 million worldwide in its second weekend, unseating Warner Bros.’ Elvis ($288.6 million) to become the No. 2 musical biopic of all time, behind only Bohemian Rhapsody ($911 million). The film held strongly to a $54 million domestic sophomore frame, down just 44 percent from its record-setting $97 million North American debut. Jaafar Jackson portrays his uncle in the film, with Colman Domingo and Nia Long as parents Joe and Katherine Jackson. The cumulative domestic total stands at approximately $151 million after two weekends.
Sources: Deadline
Golden Trailer Awards 2026 Nominations: ‘IT: Welcome to Derry’ Leads With Nine Nods
The 2026 Golden Trailer Awards nominations were announced Wednesday, with HBO’s IT: Welcome to Derry leading all individual projects with nine nominations. Disney topped the distributor standings with 144 total nominations, followed by Warner Bros. Discovery with 79 and Netflix with 62. Among films, Wuthering Heights and Sinners each received seven nominations. On the vendor side, AV Squad led trailer companies with 52 nominations. The awards ceremony is scheduled for May 28 at the Saban Theater in Beverly Hills, hosted by stand-up comic Morgan Jay, who will preside over more than 100 competitive categories.
Sources: Deadline
TBPN, Now OpenAI-Owned, Launches $800K Emmy FYC Billboard Campaign Across Los Angeles
TBPN, the tech-insider talk show acquired by OpenAI in April 2026, launched an $800,000 out-of-home Emmy FYC campaign across Los Angeles on May 4, placing ads on Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood, Mid-Wilshire, and Santa Monica & Vine via a barter deal with AdQuick. The campaign, targeting the Emmy Award’s emerging media category, bills the show as “the most influential show you’ve never heard of,” citing a quote from Bari Weiss’s The Free Press. The show, hosted by Jordi Hays and John Coogan, averages approximately 70,000 viewers per episode and has featured interviews with Mark Zuckerberg, Sam Altman, and James Cameron.
Sources: Variety
SAG-AFTRA and Studios Confirm New Four-Year Contract, Avoiding Strike
SAG-AFTRA and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers confirmed a new four-year contract on May 5, avoiding a work stoppage ahead of a packed summer production slate. Negotiations resumed April 27 and concluded May 2. Like the WGA’s recent agreement, SAG-AFTRA accepted an extended term in exchange for a “sizable” pension fund contribution and a suite of AI guardrail provisions. The deal covers motion pictures, scripted primetime television, streaming content, and new media. Full terms will not be disclosed until the SAG-AFTRA board reviews and ratifies the agreement.
Sources: Deadline
Box Office — Currently in Theatres
| # | Title | Release Date | Weekend | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Devil Wears Prada 2 | May 1 | $77.0M | $77.0M |
| 2 | Michael | Apr 25 | $54.0M | $151.0M |
| 3 | The Super Mario Galaxy Movie | Apr 3 | $12.1M | $402.7M |
| 4 | Project Hail Mary | Mar 20 | $8.5M | $318.3M |
| 5 | Hokum | May 1 | $6.4M | $6.4M |
| 6 | Animal Farm | May 1 | $3.4M | $3.4M |
| 7 | Lee Cronin’s The Mummy | Apr 18 | $3.1M | $24.1M |
| 8 | The Drama | Apr 5 | $2.5M | $44.0M |
| 9 | Deep Water | May 1 | $2.2M | $2.2M |
| 10 | Slime: Tears of the Azure Sea | May 1 | $1.0M | $1.0M |
| 11 | One Spoon of Chocolate | May 1 | $0.6M | $0.6M |
| 12 | Faces of Death | Apr 25 | $0.8M | $2.5M |
| 13 | Exit 8 | Apr 25 | $0.7M | $2.1M |
| 14 | A Great Awakening | Apr 18 | $0.6M | $5.5M |
| 15 | Over Your Dead Body | Apr 25 | $0.4M | $1.2M |
| 16 | Our Land | May 1 | $0.2M | $0.2M |
| 17 | American Dream (rerelease) | May 1 | $0.1M | $0.1M |
| 18 | Avatar: Fire and Ash | Dec 19 | $0.1M | $363.0M |
| 19 | 28 Years Later: Bone Temple | Jan 17 | $0.1M | $32.0M |
| 20 | Greenland 2: Migration | Jan 9 | $0.05M | $28.0M |
Source: Box Office Mojo · Weekend estimates
Curated by JD · samwise.agency